Overview
| Car Type | M35 & M35R |
| Date in Production | 1934 |
| Number Sold | 81 |
| How many exist today? | 25 |
Technical Details
| Track Rear | 4ft 9¼in |
| Track Front | 4ft 10in |
| Length | Tourer 15ft 7 in |
| Wheelbase | 10ft 3in |
| Kerb Weight | Chassis 27cwt (1372kg); Tourer 32.5cwt (1651kg); Saloon 35.5cwt (1804kg) |
| RAC Rating | |
| Engine Manufacturer | Lagonda |
| Type | 6 cylinder in line, pushrod overhead valves |
| Firing Order | 1, 5, 3, 6, 2, 4 |
| Carburettor. | Twin SUs |
| Dynamo | |
| Bore X Stroke | 80 x 120mm |
| Ignition | Magnito |
| Displacement | 3619cc |
| Fuel System | SU type L electric pump |
| Clutch | |
| Gearbox | Silent third Z type gearbox |
| Coolant | water pump fan, temperature managed by thermostat which controlled the radiator slats |
| Specific Output | 88bhp at 3,000rpm |
Information
The 3½ Litre, which used the M45 Rapide chassis, slightly simplified, and a bored out version of the 3 Litre engine, now 80 mm bore giving 3619 cc. For this model the Lagonda Z gearbox was entirely adequate in its latest “silent third” guise. The bodies were exactly the same as for the Rapide but the smaller car lacked some details and fitments.
1934 had been a good year for sales, about 250 Rapiers and 200 or so M45s plus about 50 16/80s and 3 Litres, but nevertheless the company was running perilously close to financial disaster.
Then disaster. The government brought in the 30 mph speed limit in built up areas and overnight nobody wanted a sports car. Sales tapered off and the bank, as debenture holders, panicked and called in a Receiver at Easter 1935
